


Fate/Stay Night: Ascension

by cheyshire



Category: Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/F, F/M, dontjudgemecuneedslove, dontjudgemeformessedupbackstories, somanyocs, whydoidothistomyself
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 09:03:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14589618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheyshire/pseuds/cheyshire
Summary: Ten years have passed since Shirou Emiya participated in the Holy Grail War, and he has since left to go study magic elsewhere.For the others left in Fuyuki, life continues on as normal- until one day, red markings begin appearing on people's hands, and they feel compelled to try magic.Old faces begin to reappear as alliances are formed...though one of the participants just doesn't seem right.A/N: This takes place after Fate/Stay Night in a universe where Rin died. *lowkey spoiler but v important to know*The only things I own in this fanfic are some of the Masters. The rest belongs to type - moon and all other respective owners.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the repetitiveness in here, but it's kinda needed, and the incantation is taken from the wiki, so credit to whoever typed it all out, and hope y'all understand and enjoy! (Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!)

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance, I summon thee!" Amiah had her eyes closed tight as she read the incantation, afraid of what might happen. After all, this entire situation was so...weird? No, that wasn't the right word to use. Wrong? Awful?

Sighing, she resigned herself to opening her eyes to scan her cramped apartment. She had cleared out her tiny living room, the couch on the side opposite of the TV, the table on the couch, her DVD collection completely trashed in the corner...nothing different from what she did. 

"Is the circle too small?" She mumbled, then shook her head fiercely. "No, this was just some stupid prank by my friends. That's all it has to be." Exhaling, she was glad she didn't open the gates to hell or anything. Glancing at the back of her hand, she saw that the mark was still there. She tiredly glared at it before glancing towards the clock. It was one in the morning, no way was she cleaning this mess tonight. 

Amiah ssentially blew out the candles she had added for dramatic effect with a yawn, then stumbled to her room. Upon kicking her door open, she was greeted with what she would call a model. Starstruck, she could only state at him. His short blonde hair was lighter than his tanned skin, and his blue grey eyes were striking. He was holding a book in one hand, with the other clenched so tightly around the handle of his sword that his hand looked like a ghost's. 

He seemed to notice Amiah, and pointed his sword in her direction.  
"Why is there a picture of my dragon on this book?" He demanded. Amiah paled.

"No fucking way," she gasped. The intruder tilted his head slightly in curiousity and confusion. "You're Eragon," she said slowly. "And I think I'm your Master."

XXXXX

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance!" A figure began to form from the almost blinding light emitted from the summoning sigil. He closed one eye in an attempt to make the light bearable, as he didn't want to miss a single second of his success. When the light died down, a lithe beauty was left in it's place. Her long, pale blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, with a few strands left out to frame her sharp face and amber eyes. She had dark armour, which had to be light so she could still fly. As serious as the grave, yet with an air of grace, Senji knew he had summoned a seasoned warrior. 

"Master," she greeted in a calm yet serious voice. He greeted her with a slight bow.

"I am Senji Sagita," he introduced himself, not removing his eyes from her. He hated to admit it, but she scared him.

"I am Brunhilde, the eldest of the valkyries," she replied, pausing only to think of something. "I appear to be a Rider this time." A smug grin appeared on Senji's face at her words. This war was as good as his.

XXXXX

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance!" Miyuki somewhat cowered behind her arms as she shielded her face from the blinding light. It worked though! That's all she cared about. She could finally stick it to those who tormented her.

"Hmm, a Caster this time?" A male's voice mused. "Interesting." 

Lowering her hands away from her face, Miyuki took in the sight of her Servant, in all his golden glory.

"No way..." He seemed to notice her presence, and scowled.

"Mongrel, who gave you permission to behold me?" Reflexively, she ducked her head down. A slight purr of amusement resonated around the empty seaside warehouse she had chosen to attempt a summon in. "You're my Master, it seems." A sigh. "You may look upon me, then."

Returning her gaze to him, she slowly looked him up from toe to head. She knew exactly who it was. The style of clothing he favoured was Mesopotamian, and his attitude made it all the more obvious.

"Are you trying to figure out who I am?" He asked, his red eyes narrowing on her in a condescending manner. While he might have asked her, he somehow made it seem more like a command.

"No," Miyuki replied in a small voice. "You are King of Kings, your domain is over everything, you own all you desire," she took a breath, finally staring right back into his fierce red gaze, though now it seemed softened by intrigue. "You are Gilgamesh."

Chuckling, he folded his arms. "It seems you are well versed in your history." Despite it obviously being a compliment, she couldn't help but feel insulted. "What would be the name of my Master?" 

"Miyuki," she replied in as loud a voice as she could muster, "Miyuki Asano. But everyone calls me Rokudenashii, so if you want-"

"Mongrel, you summoned me. You are far superior to those who call you that for this feat alone." Gilgamesh cut her off with his voice and a look of pure evil. "We'll make them regret those words."

XXXXX

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance!" Faeena blinked, but nothing happened. 

"Knew it was bullshit," she muttered to herself, kicking the book away. "At least now whoever gets this place after me will be scared shitless when they come up here," she chuckled to herself as she descended down the stairs from her attic. "No way in hell I'm getting down on my hands and knees to scrub that off the floor."

"Scrub what off the floor?" Yelping in fear, Faeena jumped away from the foot of the staircase. "And you're supposed to be my Master, huh?" Looking towards the source of the voice to see a tall yet fairly muscular female. She was scantily dressed, and the most noticeable feature of her was the skull on her headband. 

"Wait...it worked?" Faeena asked incredulously. The older girl raised an eyebrow. "I did it for shits and giggles, but holy shit it worked!" Jumping up, Faeena inspected the other girl closer. 

"I take it you know who I am?" 

"Of course, you're my Servant!" 

"Class?" The Servant asked.

"I would say Caster, but your sword screams Assassin."

"Name?" It was easy to see she was mildly amused now.

"Zola," Faeena finished excitedly.

"You are correct. Will you disclose your name?"

"I'm Faeena, Faeena Utka."

"Pleased to meet you, Master."

"Holy shit, my favourite video game character is my Servant!" Faeena paused. "Uh, I mean, nice to meet you too, Assassin?" She offered awkwardly. Zola simply shook her head slightly.

"Exactly how old are you?"

XXXXX

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance!" Pausing for but a moment, Shinji then continued the chant. He needed the most powerful Servant to win this. "Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos. Thou, bound in the cage of madness. I am he who commands those chains. Come forth and serve me!" His ego got in the way of the incantation being textbook perfect, but he was sure the last line wouldn't mess with it that much. 

The light that emitted from the ground was much different from when Rider had been summoned ten years ago, much darker. He didn't have to look away from the blinding light, instead he could stare right at the circle as something- no someone rose from the ground. Shinji's narrowed as he recognized the female figure that was under the hood. His command sigil pulsated, sensing Shinji's desire. A dark grin split across his face, raising his right hand to show his intention. His Servant only mumbled something about a shirt, and Shinji Matou realized he wouldn't even have to use a command sigil.

She was completely under his control.


	2. Masters

"C'mon sis, you can't tell me you aren't excited! We're gonna be Masters!" Luciel all but squealed at his sister. Anabiel sighed quietly.

"I can, and I'll do it again- I'm not excited at all," she mumbled in response. 

"But why not, Ana? We could have anything!" Sighing again, she put down her chalk and looked at her brother. She'd let his naiveté go unchecked for now. 

"I'm ready," she told him, causing him to ignore that line of conversation for now.

"About time!" He exlaimed, despite finishing his only seconds prior. Scrambling over to his circle, Luciel took his position in his circle, staring across their two circles at his sister. "On your mark?" Nodding, the twins took a breath in unison.

"Silver and iron to the origin. Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone. The ancestor is my great master Schweinorg," they began, chanting in unison as their circles light up in accordance with their mana being used. 

"The alighted wind becomes a wall. The gates in the four directions close, coming from the crown, the three-forked road that leads to the kingdom circulate." Each held their hand out, dripping a drop of mixed ingredients in time with their incantation. 

"Shut, fill. Shut, fill. Shut, fill. Shut, fill. Shut, fill. Repeat every five times. Simply, shatter once filled. Set, I announce." Their circles changed color as the last of the liquid hit the circle.

"Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword. In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer." Ana could tell her brother was getting more and more excited, if that was possible. His voice had more bravado in it, and was getting slightly louder. 

"Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead." A breeze was picking up now, though it was easy to tell the summoning caused it. They were in their family basement, which held no windows, so it was impossible the wind came from outside.

"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, o keeper of the balance!" A small shockwave of energy came from each of the circles, and the twins were pushed back from their circles, covering their faces from the harsh kickback of mana mixed with dust.

"Damnit, Luciel, I told you to dust down here!" Anabiel snapped, waving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to disperse the dust.

"Careful Master, there's a faker down here," a voice that came from directly in front of her said, the male voice dripping in disdain. 

"Should I warn my Master of a scrawny dog?" A different male's voice rebuked. 

"Ana, we did it! We're Masters!" 

Opening her eyes, Anabiel took in the scene before her. A man clad in blue stood between her and a man dressed in red, with her brother behind him. Their weapons were visible and aimed at each other, so it was easy for her to identify her Servant.

"Lancer, he's an ally," Anabiel stated calmly. "You can stand down for now." 

"Only if Archer does as well," Lancer replied over his shoulder. 

"Oh, um, Archer? Stand down please, we're on the same side," Luciel told his servant, obviously as confused as Anabiel was. "But if you're an Archer, where's your bow?"

The two men nodded to each other, and put their weapons down from their battle stances. 

"He's special," Lancer said dismissively, turning towards his Master. "Finally, a beautiful Master has summoned me. You have no idea how many hideous, double crossing, back stabbing old men came before you."

But Anabiel couldn't respond. She was stuck in place by his captivating red eyes. 

"Looks like your perverted ways silenced your Master," Archer teased from behind him.

"Do you two know each other or something?" Luciel asked, causing Lancer to take his eyes off Anabiel and look over his shoulder at her twin. 

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Archer replied. "He is Cu Chulainn, and we have crossed paths before due to the Holy Grail War."

"That's not fair, you've never told me who you are," Lancer complained. 

"That's because every time I've been summoned, something has gone wrong and I don't remember who I am," he replied dismissively. "This time, I think I was summoned too close to you because I feel the sudden urge to piss on trees," Archer finished dryly.

"But I remember who I am, so it must be your Master's fault," Lancer shot back.

"Hey! Don't bring me into this!" Luciel snapped. 

"Cu, please don't bring my brother into this," Anabiel mumbled, feeling weaker by the second. Her Servant looked back at her, a look of amusement and surprise on his face as she rested on the wall.

"Ana, I told you we should've done it the time when your mana was at it's peak, not mine!" Her twin rushed to her side, but she simply brushed him off. 

"I'm fine," she told him. "Besides, it's 4 in the morning, and neither of us has slept. We should both turn in for the night."

"Morning," Luciel corrected lamely. Anabiel reached over and weakly slugged him in the shoulder. 

"Cu, come help me." Offering his arm to her, she took it and rested against him. "Luciel, you should get to know your Servant better. We'll discuss strategies tomorrow."

"Alright, Ana, get some sleep, sweet dreams," Luciel smiled, giving her a small wave. 

"Lancer, try not to be a pervert," Archer told the other Servant. 

"I'm a flirt, not a rapist," Lancer replied through gritted teeth, trying not to instigate for Anabiel's sake- a fact that didn't go unnoticed by her.

"Thank you," she told her Servant as he slowly walked with her to her room. He offered only a wink in response as they moved through the small mansion. 

"I take it you're a mage family?" He asked as she studied him. His blue hair was tied in a ponytail, and longer than hers. She was a bit jealous.

"Yeah, but we were the youngest children," Anabiel told him. 

"Were?" He was also perceptive, not many people caught on to that detail when she told them.

"Yes, were. Now we're the only ones," she replied. "Our parents and two elder siblings died in a fire in our house in England, and we were sent here to live with infertile old family friends, but they died a few months after we arrived in the fire years ago. My brother and I were left with both fortunes, so we're set for life, but he still wanted to participate in the Holy Grail War." A sigh escaped her lips, and she pointed at a door once it came into view. They were still on the stairs though, but she was too drained to climb any more. Lancer seemed to catch on, and picked her up bridal style.

"And now I'm here," He finished her story for her. He frowned a little, though his eyes seemed more thoughtful than for just one reason. "Your brother...does he know how to win?"

"I was afraid you'd ask that," Anabiel told him as she turned the doorknob for him. Walking into the room, Lancer quietly shut the door with his foot and placed her on the bed. "I'm going to help him win. If you don't agree with me, I have no problem with using a command-"

"Not that again, no thank you," he cut her off with a wave of his hand. She blinked, curiousity brimming in her blue eyes. "I have no problem forfeiting my life for a beautiful Master." Looking away, Anabiel felt a slight blush rise to her face. "I take it you wish to sleep now?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Yes. Please keep watch, and try not to fight Archer," she ordered. 

"Yes, Master." With that, she could sense his presence leave her room, and she let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Anabiel laid down, pulled the blanket up to her chin and curled up as she stared out the window, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

XXXXX

"Archer," Lancer greeted his ally on the roof.

"Lancer," he returned calmly.

"How does it feel, being back again just ten years later?" The blue haired man asked.

"Wrong," Archer mumbled, his arms folded as he sat crossed legged, staring off towards the front of the house. Lancer copied his position, though with his back just a few inches away from the others'. 

"I miss them, surprisingly," he admitted first. "Not my Master of course, but yours and Sabers'."

"I would like to check on Rin," Archer said after a moment of silence. Lancer could feel the emotional turmoil within his companion.

"I can hold down the fort while you do that," he replied.

"Thank you, and don't-"

"I won't," Lancer responded, subtly urging him to hurry before the sun rose. And then he was alone.


	3. Beginning

Anabiel was still staring at the window, curled up in a tight ball. Sleep was a luxury her mind could barely indulge in, but at least her body could rest, in a sense. She exhaled and stretched out before pushing herself up. Glancing around her room, she saw no sign of Lancer. Pursing her lips slightly, she decided to take a quick shower. 

By the time she got out, she knew Lancer was waiting outside the door that connected the bathroom to her room. She dried her hair off with her magic of choice, and wrapped a towel around her torso.

"A pyromancer, eh?" He asked as soon as she opened the door. 

"Mmh hmm, what of it?" She replied, going straight to her walk-in closet. 

"I know some fiery tricks myself." Her back was turned to him, but she knew he winked. Rolling her eyes, she cursed her luck. 

"Cu, can you not?" She asked sweetly, though the sugar dripping from her voice was most definitely poisonous. 

"Why do you call me that?" He asked, adjusting his leaning position against the wall into a more comfortable one.

"Hm?"

"By my name?" He sighed, knowing full well she wasn't focusing on him. 

"Because it's your name. While I'll never mention it in front of an enemy, since we're safe here, I'll call you Cu," she told him, rummaging through her clothes, a small frown on her face.

"But why?"

"Because there is an endless amount of how many Lancers can be summoned. There's only one you," she pointed out dryly.

"All fun aside, how do you plan to win?" Lancer asked, sighing inwardly as he changed the subject.

"Kill the other Masters." Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Lancer nod solemnly. 

"I mean besides the obvious, though."

"What's the point in me explaining twice?" She pulled a hanger with a long sleeved black shirt, and tossed it over to her Servant. He caught it with an amused expression. 

"You spent all that time looking for a plain black shirt?" Lancer asked incredulously. 

"That shirt may be black, but it's far from plain. It's been reinforced to give more protection than normal clothes, yet still be light and breathable. As you are familiar with magic, you should know that," Anabiel chided.

By the time he was done inspecting the shirt, and seeing that she was indeed right, a pair of jeans was soaring over and landed on his face. 

"You could've at least given me a-" Lancer trailed off as he pulled the black pants off his face. His Master was getting dressed in her undergarments, her back towards him. Scars littered her body, and before he could speak, she was walking towards him. He gulped slightly, trying not to make a remark or blush as she took her clothes from him and dressed. 

"Let's go," Anabiel told him. Mutely, he nodded, silenced by the authority this girl had despite her age. Lancer knew he wouldn't be able to erase the image of his Master walking towards him in only her underwear for the rest of the day.

"Ana! Good morning!" Luciel greeted, waving at her from the bottom of the stairs. A sulking Archer could be seen a few feet behind him, staring out a window. 

"Good morning Luciel," she replied, then looked at Archer. "Good morning, Archer." The red robed man merely grunted in response, folding his arms. 

"So sis, what's the plan?" Anabiel looked into her brother's amber eyes, seeing only joy and excitement blazing within them. Walking past him, she ruffled his red hair. 

"Breakfast," she replied simply in a non-negotiable tone. Groaning, her brother followed her, their Servants slowly following after. 

XXXXX

Breakfast passed silently, as Luciel was too busy hurrying through it, most likely to start going through plans. 

"Hey Archer, why are you gloomier than yesterday?" Luciel asked, making up for his previous silence as they made their way to the library. The broody Servant seemed to mull something over before responding.

"What do you know of the Tohsakas?" 

"If you're asking whether or not a Tohsaka could be a Master, the answer is no. The last one died ten years ago," Anabiel replied. 

"Yeah, our parents got a letter about it, since they were one of the oldest Magus bloodlines," Luciel added thoughtfully. "We weren't supposed to know about it, but our oldest brother, Zachariah, stole it and read it to us under candlelight."

"We thought it was a scary story at the time," the sister explained as she pushed the door to the library open. "She had been found in a pool of her own blood, her eyes red, and some sort of sigil in her own blood on her right hand." The air around them grew stale as the four of them seemed to come to the same conclusion. 

"It...she drew command seals, didn't she?" Luciel asked quietly. Archer seemed to flinch, and looked away from them all. 

"So uh," Lancer spoke up, "Why not focus on this war?"

"Right," Anabiel agreed. Walking over to a bookshelf, she pulled a book.

"How predictable," her Servant mumbled as a hidden passageway. 

"They loved clichés," Luciel mused, fondly remembering their late caretakers as the four descended into the secret section of the library, the door behind them closing as they continued down the stairs. 

"Far away from prying eyes," Archer noted. "Good." Lancer gave his Servant kin a sidelong glance, but was only met with the usual stoic front.

"So, how we gonna win, sis?" Luciel asked, sitting on the floor. Anabiel leaned against the only desk in the room, and the Servants stayed near the door. 

"We have two Servants at our disposal, and both appear to be useful at close to long range. Together, they will easily win against the others, so long as they don't team up against us." Pausing, Anabiel pursed her lips thoughtfully. "However, there are only two Servants they should never go up against by themselves-"

"Caster and Bezerker!" Luciel cut her off cheerfully. Since she was facing him, she dared not let her face betray her slight annoyance, and took comfort in the fact the Servants rolled their eyes for her. 

"That's correct. Bezerker and Caster are the wild cards of any war. They can be either very powerful or mediorce," Anabiel told him. "Now, since there's no established sanctuary, we don't know if the other Masters have been chosen and summoned, we need to do recon when night falls."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Her brother tilted his head in curiousity. She responded by turning to the desk and rifling through some papers. 

"I'm going to set up a link between us so we can so we can communicate without speaking," Anabiel told him, examining the papers. "Where did I put it?" 

"Wait, so like, telepathy?" Luciel asked.

"Yes and no, because it's magic, not a talent," Archer sighed, disdain seeping into his voice. His Master frowned a bit. 

"Got it," the only female in the room declared. "Thankfully, we share the same blood, so it will be easier. Now, all we have to do..."

XXXXX

"It's six," Archer noted as the two magi in the room finished another fist to fist sparing match. While neither of them had a magic crest in their possesion, they were able to put some extra power behind their hits with their own mana, though it left them a bit drained. They were building up their endurance as well as their skill. The Servants were mildly impressed with their Masters. 

"Time to go!" Luciel grinned, going to the wall behind the desk. 

"Another entrance into here?" Lancer questioned as he stood beside his Master.

"This house is built next to a rock face," Anabiel explained, folding her arms as Luciel fumbled around the wall, looking for the right block to push in. "It was easy to build, easy to hide." Lancer nodded in agreement.

"Ah ha!" The other twin exclaimed, finally finding the right block. 

"Finally," Archer huffed, following his eager Master out.

"It seems the war has begun," Lancer mused. Anabiel raised an eyebrow at the cryptic way he worded it, but said nothing else. They followed the other two out into the fresh night air, not knowing what the night would contain.


	4. Interception

Lancer looked over at his Master. Now that they were just roaming around the shipyard, he could actually focus on her features. 

She was about five and a half feet tall, and had a lithe build. Her features were rather sharp, and her short red hair hair brought out her piercing blue eyes that looked like they were ready to kill. Out of her and her twin, Luciel might have been the most eager, but she was the most prepared. 

"So why did the pyromancer choose to go to the docks?" Lancer asked, his fingers linked behind his head as they walked together. While she couldn't see him, she knew he was there and barely tilted her head in his direction as a response. The way she adapted to talking to invisible people was slightly unnerving. 

"Easy. My brother wouldn't know how to spot a hideout," Anabiel responded. "Not to mention that since he has Archer, it would be easier for him to take to the higher vantage point and have Archer look out from there."

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Lancer whistled in admiration.

"Ever since my twin heard about the Holy Grail War ten years ago, he was fascinated with it," she replied, her voice dropping slightly before she continued. "When our parents died, he became obsessed with it, wanting to find it to wish our family back."

"Commendable." That was all Lancer could say, as he didn't know how to stay on her good side. He heard something get knocked over a few crates down, and held his arm in front of her to get her to stop. "Don't go there, it's probably a trap."

"The best way to counter a trap is to spring it," she quipped back, gently brushing his arm away with her chest as she walked forward. Her carelessness astounded Lancer, but he followed closely behind her. Any closer, and he'd be breathing down her neck.

"Ah, so it seems a Master has entered our hunting ground." The words of the abhorrent voice came from a top a stack of crates. Narrowing her eyes, Anabiel tried to see who it was, but with the shine of the moon at his back, it was hard to see. 

"Who are you?" She called out defiantly, cracking her knuckles with her thumbs. 

"Shinji Matou, at your service," the figure bowed. Her eyes widened. 

"What's wrong Master?" Lancer asked through thought.

"You should be dead," she answered aloud, her eyes narrowing to slits of accusation after a moment of weakness.

"A bit of family magic fixed that," Shinji replied dismissively, waving his hand at her. "But enough squabble. Bezerker, end her."

Lancer sprung into action as a shipping container went flying towards them. Standing in front of Anabiel, he easily used his spear to slice it in half and have it harmlessly go it's separate way. 

A girl was left in it's wake. She was about Anabiel's height, maybe a few inches shorter or taller, but it was hard to tell. She was wearing some sort of hooded cloak, one that masked her face- and identity. Slowly, she slid one foot back.

"She's going to charge," Anabiel realized as Lancer readied his spear to fight. "We're going."

"What?" Her Servant asked, surprised. "She's just a girl, she has to be a mediorce Bezerker at best."

"Lancer, she moved that full crate by herself as if is were nothing," she snapped back. "Trust me, she got no help from Matou up there. Now get me out of here." 

With a disappointed grunt, Lancer willed his spear away and picked up Anabiel bridal style. 

"Luciel, tell Archer to look for Lancer and I," Anabiel contacted her brother through their link. "We're coming from the docks with Bezerker on our tail. We won't fight her yet- maybe we can get more Masters to join us against them." Lancer was jumping from crate to crate, with the Bezerker charging after them, knocking what he just leapt off to the ground. 

"Shit," Lancer hissed. She was faster than he expected. He'd have to apologize to Anabiel later.

"Alright, he sees you. If he see the Bezerker, he'll fire," Luciel responded moments later. "What's it look like?"

"A tiny hooded girl."

"What?" 

"Just trust me! We need cover fire, now!" She mentally yelled to her twin.

"Hold on, this is about to get bumpy!" Lancer warned his Master, quickly dodging the arrow storm headed their way. "Shit, that was close."

"Did he get her?" Luciel's voice resounded throughout Anabiel's head. 

"Don't know, don't care right now," she shot back curtly. Another volley of arrows was on its way, and Lancer did his best to avoid it to rush further inland and hide. 

"Shit Ana, another Servant saw us, we gotta move," Luciel warned. 

"You know where to go," she told him. 

"Right. See you there." She felt the connection between them weaken as his focus shifted after from their link. Anabiel focused on the current situation at hand as well. Lancer seemed to have lost Bezerker, and both breathed a sigh of relief. He came to a stopping point near the bus stop by the shipyard.

"There's a small hut under an overhang to the east of shipyard. We need to go there," she told her Servant.

"Yes Master," Lancer sighed, getting ready to turn around. Before he could take off Anabiel slid out of his arms. 

"We're going a less noticeable way," she informed him as she walked toward their new destination. Lancer shot a glance behind them, making sure they weren't followed.

"Alrighty then," he shrugged, easily falling into step behind her.

XXXXX

"C'mon Zo- Assassin, it's just an Archer!" Faeena told her Servant. "All we have to do is rush him!" 

"Something seems off about this whole matter," the mercenary replied coolly, overlooking the fact her name had almost be released. It was surprisingly easy for Assassin to carry her Master on her back as she leapt from building top to building top. 

Faeena clung to her tightly as they closed in on Archer. He had stopped firing at whatever his previous target was and switched attention over to them. Assassin shrugged her off and leapt toward him in an attempt to discourage him from attacking her Master. Drawing her sword, she trusted forward, attempting to land the first- and last- blow. 

He discarded his bow in favour of two swords, which threw Assassin off guard. She hopped back, avoiding his counter swing. 

"Master," the male Servant called behind him, "we should get going."

Assassin narrowed her eye, and got ready to charge at him again. She was blasted back by a glyph she had missed before, one that was placed by her enemy's Master. 

When she recovered, she noticed she had been left behind, and saw only the red of Archer's coat. 

"You're not getting away so easily," Assassin seethed. Stabbing her sword into the ground, she placed her hands on the hilt, and energy began to flow around her. 

"Stop!" At her Master's voice, she stopped, remnants of her life seeping through as sheathed her sword. "Oh, you didn't make me use a command seal."

"Following orders is the one thing I was good at," Assassin mumbled sadly. 

"Let's go home," Faeena said, holding her hand out in a friendly manner. 

"Yes, let's," she replied, returning to her Master and allowing her to climb on her back.


	5. Rest

"Here it is," Anabiel said, standing in front of a run-down shack. Lancer eyed it suspiciously, but followed her inside nonetheless. He could see the fatigue in her face at having to run all that- especially through the dense shrubbery. Running probably wasn't something she did often.

"You should rest, Master," he said softly. She touched two fingers to her forehead in response before speaking.

"Just stop," Anabiel told him before looking at him.

"Stop what, caring?" Lancer shot back. He could've sworn her cheeks were redder than seconds before, but that might've been a trick of the eyes.

"No Cu, calling me Master," she replied.

"Oh, is Mistress more to your liking?" Shamelessly, he teased her. She smacked his arm, then folded her arms and turned from him. 

"Ana is fine," she said, tapping her foot impatiently. "Where are the other two?" she groaned. 

"Relax, Ana," Lancer told her, following her request.

"Hmph." She sat on one of the two beds, her arms still folded, though her foot had stopped thatapping 

"Are you not used to be alone with someone who isn't your brother?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What? No!" She denied, looking everywhere but him.

"Aw, that's cute," he cooed. She pulled her feet to her chest. 

"There's no point in me getting close to anyone anyway, so why should it bother me?" Anabiel mumbled. Lancer sat next to her, leaning back onto his elbows in a relaxed position on the bed. "Ever since our family died, Luciel was obsessed with the Holy Grail. I knew there was a chance of us both being Masters, and that my life would be forfeit. So why cause someone to go down the same road Luciel did?"

"Your life doesn't have to be forfeit," Lancer told her. 

"How so?" She asked tiredly, turning her head towards him as she dropped her knees down. 

"Just command me to kill myself, then hide," he replied.

"No!" Her voice was louder that she expected, as she covered her mouth when Lancer winced at the volume. Then he laughed. 

The way the corners of his eyes crinkled, how he tilted his head back, how his whole body shook- something about his laugh made her want to join in. So she did.

And that's how Luciel and Archer found them, both sprawled on a bed, laughing. Anabiel was holding her stomach, and Lancer had a hand resting on his forehead.

"Please tell me you aren't laughing at me," Luciel pouted. Both of them sat up at his voice, chests heaving and faces flushed. 

"You look like you've been caught doing more than just laughing," Archer remarked.

"You'd know a lot about that," Lancer mumbled. The red cloaked man summoned his blades, preparing to attack. But his vision was filled with a red haired, blue eyed girl, not his initial target. 

Anabiel was standing between them, her arms outstretched in a protective manner. Memories of him and Rin flashed through his mind, and he let his weapons dissolve. 

"Assassin was after us, but her Master called her off," Archer informed them. 

"So at least two other Servants are in so far," Anabiel mused.

"Assassin didn't look that formidable though, we could take her out first," Luciel offered. 

"We need to be careful. If they have allied with another, a trap would be likely," she told him. Luciel rolled his eyes. 

"Careful, that's all it is with you," he grumbled.

"This is a war, Luc," Anabiel chided. "It's not a game." He simply huffed in response and plopped on the bed Lancer didn't occupy. His twin returned to her Servant's side, and rested her elbows on her knees, then her head in her hands. "We need to get back out there before daybreak."

"You should rest Ana," Lancer suggested. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"Since when does he get to call you Ana?" Luciel pouted. 

"Since he became my Servant," she shot back. Luciel wasn't used to her being so assertive, nor so protective over someone that wasn't him. It was different, but he went along with it. 

"I'll go see if I can see any other Servants," Archer told them.

"I wanna go with!" Luciel chirped. His Servant sighed begrudgingly, then walked outside the house with him. 

"We should go with too," Anabiel spoke up. 

"No," Archer countered, "you'll draw more attention, and we don't know if Bezerker lost your trail truly or not. We'll let you know when we're safe." With that, Archer and Luciel left to go lookout.

"I think they're just trying to get us alone," Anabiel grunted.

"Archer did have a legitimate point," Lancer mentioned. "Though don't tell him I said that." Anabiel smiled at him, a true smile and not some cocky one, a sight he didn't expect from her. 

Anabiel started thinking of a plan aloud, but Lancer wasn't focused on that. He still had the image of her smiling, and he wondered what this weird feeling in his stomach was.

XXXXX

"Your Noble Phantasm is very...," Senji waved his hands about, trying to think of the correct word as they finish their training.

"Powerful," Rider coolly supplemented. He nodded his agreement.

"It would be very useful for a Bezerker or a Caster," he mused.

"It depends on the Caster. If we're going against a Caster with mind control capabilities, it would surely be my downfall," she replied, allowing her sword to return to its ethereal state of non existence. "Who are we going for first, Master?" 

"Hmm," Senji pondered. "If Caster would be difficult, either first or last."

"First," Rider replied without hesitation. "Before they can ally themselves."

"We're going to win," Senji declared, a slightly sadistic smirk on his face. Rider simply nodded in agreement, her features remaining stoic. Giving her a sidelong glance, he nodded. The Holy Grail was as good as his.


	6. Clash

"Eragon, why are we scouting? Shouldn't we wait for them to come to us?" Amiah complained, trudging after her Servant as they walked through the woods.

"Because we shouldn't let them get the advantage," Saber shot back, irritated as how loud she was. "And stop calling me that if you can't call me by Saber when we're not at home."

"Alright, Saber," she replied, sticking her tongue out. He shook his head before holding his arm out. "What- mmph!" He had clasped a hand over her mouth and hoped he only thought he saw what he did. 

"Master, there is movement over here," a cold female voice stated. 

"Check it out," a male's voice responded. 

"Shit," Saber hissed, drawing the sword from his sheath and releasing his Master. "Stay behind me." Amiah nodded, following behind him closely.

"Hey you," Saber called as he entered a clearing he deemed fit to fight in. A pale woman with equally as pale hair and black armour entered the makeshift battlefield, a man with lazily spiked brown hair in a trench coat behind her.

"Master, tis nothing but a flea. Shall I crush him in your name?" The female asked. 

"Deal with him as you see fit," the male replied. The knight nodded, summoning a sword. Holding her other hand in front of her, she mumbled a word, and a massive white wolf appeared. Easily, she mounted it, and prepared to charge. 

"Shit, Saber, run!" Amiah called, turning tail and fleeing- or attempting to. She smacked right into the other Master. "Oof," she groaned, rubbing her head. Looking up, she saw a sadistic grin on his face as he held a dagger, ready to strike. 

"Saber!" His Master's screeching cry caused him to fumble, leaving him vunerable to Rider's attacks. He easily deflected the bite of the wolf, but got sliced in the arm by Rider. His mouth turned into a snarl, and he leapt away from her, going to his Master.

Amiah had been crawling away as fast as possible, trying to get to an upright position. The other guy was too fast, and on her in a second. Kicking the back of her leg, he laughed as she fell. That's when she knew was gonna die. She was going to die. Tears formed in her eyes as she feebly attempted to crawl away, kicking at him. She managed to deflect a lethal blow, only sustaining an injury to her leg. 

"Running is no longer an option," the enemy Master stated coldly. She knew that, and chocked back sobs. Her face in the ground, she waited for the final blow.

A clang of metal and a snarl caused her to flip over in surprise. Amiah had never been happier to see anyone in her life. 

Saber took on glance behind him to his Master, swore in some language Amiah couldn't place, dematerialized his weapon, and picked her up. 

"Rider, after them!" Her Master barked, obviously upset that they got away. Saber was running away, his injury impeding him only a little. 

"Saber-" Amiah started, but his glare silenced her. He was going as fast as he could, and had a slight advantage due to the dense forest. 

"Just shut up for once Amiah," he hissed, trying to lose them. He found a river and proceeded to jump in, his Master still in his arms.

He clamped a hand over her mouth when they came up and brought her over to a nearby rock for cover. They both held their breath when they heard a wolf panting and sniffing around.

"Master, Freki has lost the scent," the dark knight's voice informed the other. "That Saber must have been very resourceful in his life to know how to shake a wolf off his trail."

"We're leaving Rider," the other Master said after a few minutes of silence. 

Upon hearing the retreating footsteps of the wolf, Saber and Amiah released their breath.

"Let's stay here for a while," Amiah suggested.

"That is probably the smartest thing you've said," Saber agreed.

XXXXX

"So," Caster started, leaning back lazily in a recliner in the small apartment, "What are we going to do next?"

"Uh, I don't know, I mean, I didn't think it would work," Miyuki replied, awkwardly rubbing her arm as she kept her head down from seeing the king.

"Miyuki, was it?" He asked. She nodded. "Look at me." Surprised by how he said it, she complied to his order. He had his head turned towards her, resting his cheek on his hand, his one open eye focused on her.

"Y-yes, my king?" She fidgeted with her fingers, unsure of what to do.

"You proved your point by summoning me, did you not?" He asked. "So forget whatever those people told you, you are far superior to them. Not just any Mongrel can summon me." 

"I-I'll try," she told him, offering a small smile. 

"Good," Caster said, a smile forming on his face as well, though his was more of the evil variety. "Now, sit back and watch me win my Grail."


	7. Scream

"I'm sorry," Faeena said, offering a bowl of ice cream to her Servant.

"What's this?" Assassin asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"It's ice cream, a frozen treat common to this era," her Master explained. "I didn't know how to make up for telling you to stop, so I thought I'd give you something that usually makes my friends feel better."

Eyeing the item, Assassin took it carefully from her, taking the spoon and putting a small portion on it before bringing it to her mouth. Her eyes widened as she tasted it. 

"You like it?" Faeena asked, clasping her hands together hopefully.

"You're forgiven...this time," Assassin said, turning away from her Master to go eat on the couch. Faeena smiled at being able to at least appease her Servant, given that she wasn't even a true Magus. She went back to her kitchen to get her own ice cream, deciding to savour this one moment of peace.

XXXXX

"You went easy on them." Disgust was evident in her Master's voice. Bezerker remained unmoving, willing to take her punishment in stride.

Never in a million years did she think she'd be at his mercy, and yet here she was, unable to so much as defend herself. Had she cared enough to, she would cry, but she knew it would get her nowhere. 

Numbly, she followed him like an obedient little puppy, tuning his voice out, not in the mood to hear all the profanities he spewed when things didn't go his way.

XXXXX

"We're good to go, Master," Archer said as he looked back at Luciel.

"Let's go then," the young boy said, making his way back down to the hut with his Servant in tow. When they returned, Lancer was examining his spear out of boredom while his Master was leaning against him. Her eyes were closed and her chest was rising and falling at a slow, steady pace. 

"Is she really sleeping?" Archer asked incredulously, folding his arms with an amused expression on his face. 

"Well you took too long, and she was tired, so," Lancer trailed off, allowing his spear to disappear. 

"I'll carry her back," Luciel spoke up, drawing the eyes of the two Servants. They exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. "That's not funny!" He protested. 

"Okay, okay," Lancer said, calming himself a bit. "But seriously kid, you don't look like you can lift more than ten pounds."

"I don't care, I'll figure something out! She's my sister, I don't want some random person to carry her," he barked. 

"Thanks to your bickering, no one needs to carry me," Anabiel yawned, scooting off the bed to stretch. "Though if this happens again, Lancer will carry me."

Luciel gaped at his sister as she walked out, Lancer following her with a somewhat smug look on his face. Archer suppressed a snicker as he followed his own Master into the night. 

"Are you sure the coast is clear?" Anabiel asked, glancing over her shoulder. 

"Yeah, why?" Luciel answered her question with his own, stopping as she put her arm out.

"Something doesn't feel right," Lancer answered for his Master, summoning his spear and getting into a defensive position. 

"Can't we get one free pass?" Luciel complained. Anabiel bit back her "this is a war" spiel, instead exhaling in annoyance. 

"Master, I don't like this," Archer cautioned, his hands ready to summon whichever weapon he'd need. Luciel scooted a bit closer to the red bowman, glancing around nervously. 

Anabiel, on the other hand, folded her arms confidently. She could sense it wasn't Bezerker- that crazy amount of energy could either be hidden entirely or not at all, given her incompetent Master.

"We know you're there," she called out. 

"I wouldn't expect any less from you, Miss Mordax," a deep voice replied, stepping forth from the shadows. 

"Whatever happens, do not use your Noble Phantasm," Anabiel told Lancer, before looking over her shoulder at Archer. "You either."

"Wait, he's my Servant, you can't-"

"Luciel, shut up," she said sternly. Her twin froze, never hearing those words from her directed at him. "Retreat further back, this guy is dangerous," she added, facing back towards the enemy.

"It seems I'm at a disadvantage here," she called out to him. "You know me, I don't know you. Care to remedy that?"

"Senji," he replied amicably. "Senji Sugita, Master of Rider." As he spoke, a pale woman in pitch black armor materialized beside him. 

Lancer stiffened next to his Master, eager to strike. She gave a small shake of the head, waiting for the enemy to strike first. Anabiel noticed the slight movement of his hands as Lancer switched from an offensive stance back to a defensive one. 

"Rider," Senji said, his Servant perking up at his voice, "take care of the Servants. I'll get the Masters." Nodding, the grip on her sword tightened as she sprinted towards Lancer. He easily brought up his spear to block as Anabiel rolled to the side. 

Upon recovering, she saw that Archer was getting ready to fire at Rider. The female pushed back off Lancer's weapon to give her a boost in the opposite direction, bringing her sword up in the knick of time to block Archer's arrow.

"Freki!" She called, pointing her sword to the sky. A flash of light came down, and a massive white wolf appeared beside her. "Get the Archer." As the wolf charged towards him, she noted the nod of Rider's head. 

Turning her attention back to the enemy Master, she was able to dodge his attack at the last second. 

"Miss Mordax, why don't you summon your chosen weapon to defend? Unless you're going to lie down and die like the bitch you are," he taunted. 

Rolling to the side, she focused her mana into the rune set burnt into her hand for easy conjuring. A quarter staff made of fire appeared, and this time she blocked his short sword. 

"How do you know so much about me?" She growled at him, blocking another attack before countering with her own. He chose to jump backward rather than block, holding his sword in front of him as he regained his footing. The sounds of their Servants clashing only added to the tension the air held, their glares evenly matched in intensity.

"I was friends with your brother Michael, he told me everything," he grinned darkly. Her heart stopped as she realized he knew the dark depths of her childhood. "So imagine my surprise when I found out he died in a house fire, but his plaything- I mean his pyromancer sister and her twin survived."

That struck a nerve, and she charged him, staying as close to the ground as she could, aiming for his knee. He responded by using his magic crest to reinforce the leg he went after before kicking her away. 

"Damnit Luciel, what do you mean you can't heal me?" She heard Archer exlaim, causing her to roll away before checking what her brother did wrong. The red clad man was nursing a bite mark on his arm, obviously having been sustained for his Master's sake. 

Turning back to her enemy, she brought up her staff to block, pushing back harshly, then raised it up to slam down on his head. His sword came up to parry, and she narrowly avoided it, coming away with a scratch on her cheek. 

"Lancer, watch out!" Archer's voice caused her to turn again. The wolf had deemed Archer unfit to be an opponent due to his injury, and was heading straight towards her Servant's back. Without hesitation, she threw her staff as she yelled "Burst!", causing the staff to break into fire spots between Lancer and the wolf. 

Lancer felt the familiarity of heat at his back, glancing behind him to see the wolf warded off by flames. He ducked under a horizontal swing, stabbing forward with his spear and hitting Rider in her stomach. His spear pierced through the armour there, causing him to smirk. Then he heard the heart wrenching cry from Luciel's mouth.  
"Ana!"


End file.
